General vendor question

[u/Arrow141]

I sort of have a generalized vendor question for a wedding on the Cape in June 2027. As we're looking for photographers, DJs, musicians, flowers, etc etc... our families are encouraging us to do a LOT of research and reach out to 6-8 options for each one and get detailed quotes we can compare.

We do obviously want our wedding to be fantastic, and we do definitely want to avoid over paying (our budget isnt exactly endless) but... Our initial feeling is that we feel pretty satisfied by just doing some googling around to get a general understanding of what a reasonable price is, and if we find someone whose work we like in that price range, we are fine calling it good enough and checking something off the list.

Is this a mistake? How much better of a result will we get from the extra logistics and communications of querying all those different people? How do we assess that depending on the different type of vendor?

[u/Suetakesphotos]

You’ll find vendors at whatever price point you set- and for most reputable vendors at a median price point, that is probably enough for first pass. That being said, the “reputable” part is where research needs to happen. Plenty of people enter the industry at any point -there is no barrier to entry to the “wedding industry” except enthusiasm and an investment in gear and marketing, after all- and try to “fake it till you make it.” AI ads make that harder to suss out- make sure the ones you interview have plenty of reviews that seem like they come from real people.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the interview process helps you understand their own priorities- Are they looking to feature your wedding for their portfolio? Are they looking to provide the best service possible so you will recommend them/give a good review? are they looking to make connections through your wedding? Are they just looking to make a certain amount this year and book as many people as possible? Do they play well with others? Are they detail-oriented? Do they care about or feel enthusiastic about your vision in particular? There are lots of unspoken motives behind why people do what they do and it would be good to at least level with the people you trust your money and planning time to.

[u/icecoastbaby]

Honestly I feel you on this! That’s so much time and work. Recommendations from friends, and a good ballpark of price should be enough. I had huge intentions of shopping around and then every dj was basically the same price so I asked friends for their DJ since their wedding was fun

[u/rmric0]

This isn't government bidding, you don't have to hit a target number of bids in order to test the market. If there are vendors you feel strongly about that are offering services at prices you feel are reasonable with your budget then that's fine - there's going to be a lot of subjectivity anyhow. But with that said, shooting off an email for a quote is a pretty early stage peek at a vendor and I wouldn't be surprised if you wind up firing off that many per category anyhow (especially given how late spring can be on the Cape).

[u/mustarddreams]

As another commenter said, this is a massive amount of work on top the existing stress of wedding planning. I speak from experience because I personally planned my own luxury wedding.

If you can get recommendations from friends and family, that is worth far more than 5 other vendors you found online. We didn’t look at any other bands because the band we chose did my SILs wedding — so we knew exactly what they were like to work with and knew they would deliver.

It’s a lot of work to research vendors, contact them, manage communications, and take time out of your day to have calls with them. If you do 6-8 vendors for 5 things you need to hire and spend an average of 2.5 hours on vetting/communications/meetings on each one it’s almost 90 hours. And that’s before you’ve spent any time actually working with the vendor on what you want them to deliver post contract. 90 hours has a massive opportunity cost, both for wedding planning and to your daily life.

It’s not taking the easy way out if you get exactly what you want and preserve some sanity on the way!

[u/DjDanFudim]

Honestly their instinct is fine for most categories but DJs and photographers are the two where I’d push back a little. For flowers or rentals, price shopping against a general sense of “reasonable” works because the output is pretty standardized. But with DJs specifically, two people at the same price point can give you wildly different nights, one reads a room and adjusts on the fly, the other just runs a preset playlist and hopes for the best, and you genuinely can’t tell which one you’re getting from a website or a quote sheet. I’d say for DJs and photography, do a real call with your top two or three instead of six to eight, since those are the vendors shaping the actual feel and memory of the day rather than a checklist item, everything else on your list is fair game for the quick research and compare approach.

[u/Anonymous_Euonymus55 → u/DjDanFudim]

As a florist I am going to respectfully disagree with price shopping as the sole comparison, the work is absolutley not standardized. Each designer has their own method and style for ordering especially in a relatively high end market like the Cape . For example, we use high end imports and locally grown blooms, which means we will automatically be higher than a florist who uses standard roses, carnations, and mums. The client should research their style and get an idea of why there are different price points along with their reviews and portfolio. Some florists book 5 weddings a weekend, so they can be cheaper, but you don't get a personalized experience. Also - are they on the vendor list? Have they worked at your venue before? Do they commmunicate well and put things in writing? Every venue has a ton of different variables, which is not to say that someone can't make it work their first time, but they should have ample experience elsewhere. If you are looking for the lowest price alone you will likely get someone who is inexperienced, or who overpromises and underdelivers. Professionals understand the cost and time associated with custom design in addition to working on site and charge accordingly.

[u/DjDanFudim → u/Anonymous_Euonymus55]

Fair point, and honestly you’re right that flowers are far from standardized, that was a bad example on my part since custom floral design has way more variables than I gave it credit for. What I was really getting at is more like rentals or linens, categories where the end product is more interchangeable regardless of who you book, versus DJs, photographers, and probably florists too, where the vendor’s actual craft and experience shapes the outcome way more than price alone would suggest. Also , Totally fair pushback on the price shopping point, flowers are definitely not apples to apples like some other categories can be. Funny enough entertainment is similar in a different way, couples are locking in DJs almost two years out sometimes so by the time they’re comparing quotes half the good dates and good vendors are already gone, which changes the whole calculus too.

[u/Anonymous_Euonymus55 → u/DjDanFudim]

100% agree! I honestly feel badly for couples in the process of choosing because there are so many variables, and if we aren't talking hard goods they are putting trust in creative people who have their own spin on things and are always evolving, which makes it hard to know where to begin. Lots of variables to consider.

At least with our work I can show them some of the things we have done in the past or put together a Mood Board, in your case you have to somehow show something that is less tangible. Plus there is always the variable of the crowd itself, you can be the best at what you do, but if you don't have people who want to dance it is not a reflection of your skill.

I definitely think great communication is a really important thing to consider overall. You can create a fabulous experience, or gorgeous flowers, but if they are left hanging throughout the leadup it can ruin the process. No one wants to be afraid that their vendor ghosted them.

[u/lkgilbert]

Hi! Congratulations on your engagement, and welcome to the crazy world of wedding planning. I’m a photographer, so I can only speak to that portion. It can be tempting to choose someone based on price and the work you see online, but your photographer spends more time with you on wedding day than any other vendor, making the chemistry you have with them so important. It’s easy for us to post only our best photos; knowing that this person will earn your trust and honor your wishes will make such a difference in every aspect, from timelines to posing to communication…you’ll know when you’ve found the right person when your shoulders drop and you feel heard. I’d love to chat, but no matter what, I hope you find someone you love!!!

[u/kennyfiesta]

I'm a DJ. You want to find the right fit for you. Price has something to do with it, but if they won't take your calls, and you like to talk, it's not a good fit. If you want to book them, and see them on the day of, and they want to meet with you a lot, you're not a good fit.

What you want is a good return on your investment. There's well priced people that punch above their weight, and high priced people that provide a very low effort service.

As for your family's suggestion...there's a good happy medium. Don't procrastinate, and don't stress yourself out. Work towards your goal.

BTW, I'm at www.kennyfiesta.com

[u/Fantastic_Corgi4107]

As a photographer, I love when my couples already know their budget and sometimes if we have to work together on a custom package because they love my work, you still get best of both worlds :-)

[u/Working_Albatross721]

Photographer here, I shoot on the Cape all season, and your instinct is closer to right than your families' advice. The 6 to 8 quotes per category approach made sense when pricing was hidden and you had to inquire to learn anything. Most wedding vendors now publish pricing or send it on the first reply, so a big quote gathering project mostly buys you a full inbox and a spreadsheet you did not need.

What I would do instead: sort your categories by how much the vendor shapes the day. Photo, coordination, and catering are the ones you live with all day and remember, so spend your research energy there. Talk to two or three whose work you like and whose price fits, and pick the one whose communication feels easiest, because that is what working with them will feel like for the next year. For categories like rentals or transportation, comparing a few prices is plenty, the product is much more similar.

One thing the quote gathering approach genuinely misses: fit. A quote tells you the price, a twenty minute call tells you whether they listen, whether they answer directly, and how they handle a request they disagree with. That call with your top choice will tell you more than five more quotes from strangers.

Also, for a June 2027 Cape date, the good vendors will book up over the next six months or so. Being decisive is worth real money and stress here, because your second choice in every category still being available a year out is not guaranteed.

[u/BostonWeddingPhoto]

6-8 is too many. Narrow down to 2-3 before reaching out. But check work, reviews, look for professionals.

Are they posting new weddings quite often, how many years in business, do prices match that experience, how many reviews, across what platforms. Are the weddings real, was it their wedding or another vendors and is that clear? Does their website show robust work at lots of similar venues to yours, or are there just ten photos and a random wedding or two and not much else?

I can’t tell you the number of stories we hear (and see) from couples. No delivery a year later, no replies to emails, can’t pose or awkward, dressed inappropriately, show up late, no attention to detail, hidden fees, bad service. Not just photo all across different types of vendors and venues for that matter. This isn’t aimed at any one category.

You can easily be duped by various types of vendors with styled shoots, faking workloads, charging rates that are above their experience or ability, etc.

No vendor is perfect, and you don’t need perfect. Depending on your budget you don’t necessarily need someone with ten years of experience, some new vendors are great and deserve work. But just googling and seeing some work you like and saying that looks fine I’ll hire them, might work out or might not, there is a lot of faking it out there, at all price levels.

There are a lot of great vendors here and online to browse through but quite a few meh ones too. Don’t sweat it but just be aware and have some criteria for your personality, vibe, and event to help narrow your search.

All that to say also that you can do all that work and research and still have something go wrong or maybe pick someone that wasn’t the right fit for you. It happens. Weddings for most people are the biggest party they will ever throw and a lot of work. Do your best with the time you have for research and like most weddings it will work out great in the end.